Dr. Martin Luther King Jr (A.K.A Michael King Jr) was a leader of civil rights and a minister of the gospel. An activist to the civil rights movement, hoping to create justice for all in America and all over the world. MLK was born on January 15th, 1929. Dr. King was the leader of many civil rights organizations including the Montgomery Improvement Association and Southern Christian Leadership Council. The organizations helped him protest around the world about race-related issues, civil rights, and justice. After he was arrested and bailed out by John F. Kennedy, the media was all over him. He used the media to help spread more of his movements for justice, civil rights and promote nonviolence; and gain the support of President Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson.
The March On Washington was a gathering of more than 200,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial for the demand of equal justice for all citizens. Dr. King recited his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, which emphasized the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to outlaw discrimination. In Selma, Alabama of 1965 a march for justice on Edmund Pettus bridge took a turn of events. The people marching were bombarded by many state troopers. This day is called Bloody Sunday. With more and more plans for peaceful protest and more speeches over the problems of this world, it all came to an end. On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed by a sniper’s bullet. Dr. King left a legacy that changed the world and the people of it. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader that wanted justice, freedom, change, and understanding.
In the excerpt Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community, talked about the chaotic world that we live in and how we as people demand peace. In the excerpt, he talked about two different kinds of peace. A peace that benefits the community and peace that benefits an individual. He talked about the importance of nonviolence and how nations use words instead of weapons.
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The idea of the excerpt was to promote peace. To show that there was no need for violence; there was no need for war. He is encouraging us to see a whole new perspective of this chaotic world. Dr. King is encouraging that we make a difference peacefully and to see that there is still hope. King writes this in hope that we no longer become selfish, but instead become generous and think about others. Martin Luther King Jr. wants mankind to open their minds to what kind of world it can be if peace was always around.
He wants us to think of the endless amounts of opportunities we could take to use our voice to change the world. Martin Luther King Jr. wants to spread peace through his words in Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community and stress the points of peace, religion, power, nonviolence, and Greek literature to change the world.
Religion plays a part when it comes to promoting nonviolence or peace. Religion is a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance. It has opened the eyes of the government and viewed a different outlook on war. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was inspired by Gandhi who was a nonviolence promoter. Gandhi used his faith in nonviolence to encourage change in political ways.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an influencer on how violence is not the key, but finding peace in religion and this world. “Religious nonviolence was also at the center of antinuclear protest and the campaign to end the Vietnam War” (Kosek, 2012). I have faith that things can change that there are better ways than violence. I learned that verbally saying things have helped make everything different. Talking is a good way to release anger and to help change. There is power in the tongue and mind.
Power is the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others of the course of events. There are many ways power can destroy or power can change. Adolf Hitler for instance destroyed his power by killing many innocent people.
Then Martin Luther King Jr. used the power of his voice to change the world as we know it. Influencing others to think about to change from being violent to nonviolent. “Hitler could come forth, following nakedly aggressive expansionist theories, and do it all in the name of peace” (King, 1967). We understand that we can use our power to change the minds of people, to influence them to do different things. I believe that there is power in our voice. I believe that the words we speak are powerful and our actions are powerful. I would rather use our voices to make a difference then to abuse innocent people or kill. There is useless power in violence.
Instead of using fists or weapons, why not use a voice. A voice can be a painting, a song, a dance, a protest, or a speech. Nonviolence is the use of peaceful means not forcing to bring political or social change. Just as MLK used the media to spread his words. To prove that violence won’t solve anything, but a voice can.
Our voice can be heard through social media, through the news, on the street, or through a paper. Using over voices could be a lunch counter sit-in. “…lunch counter sit-ins became as legitimate a form of nonviolence as conscientious objection to war.” (Kosek, 2012). I believe that our voices can sometimes be more powerful than our actions. Our actions can be marching or having lunch, but we have to communicate with everyone to spread the word. Spreading the word can be as simple as saying “Hello”. It all starts with one person.
Greek literature helps us to understand the meaning of making a difference. Take for instance Ulysses (Odysseus). Ulysses disguised himself so much that his wife didn’t recognize him. Or the time when his crew was against the luring sounds of the sirens. But if it wasn’t for Orpheus and her sweet melodic music they would have never gotten out of the trap of the Sirens. “…peace represents a sweeter music, a cosmic melody” (King, 1967), which is better than the tragic sounds of cries from the hurt. Greek literature has opened our eyes to the understanding of peace. If Greek mythology makes it clear that there is peace in our voice, and that we don’t have to kill to get our way. We can use other ways to stop the luring of our deaths. So let our voices and our actions of peace speak louder than the hatred and anger in our hearts.
Peace is used worldwide; it is something many people want in life. Peace has many definitions and many meanings. Everyone demands peace. Peace can be sung about, talked about, drawn about, and danced about. Peace can be expressed in many ways, but we all want a piece for nonviolence and justice. As Martin Luther King expresses “The large power blocks talk passionately of pursuing peace” (1967). Peace is a want, a need, a desire, etc. Peace is something that many people strive for. I want peace, so I don’t live in fear. Fear that something tragic will happen every time I step out into this world. Peace is something that I strive for because it’s something that I desire. Peace is meant to be for everyone; it’s not just given, but it’s free.
Overall Dr. Martin Luther King Jr has helped us to see the change he made through Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community to help us to understand that religion, peace, greek literature, power, and nonviolence can change the world. Religion has helped us to see a whole new perspective of things; by opening our eyes up to a whole new world of understanding. We can see that violence is not the answer and to see that nonviolence can help change it all. Power can be given to everyone. Power is used to influence us to do better to be a change for a better world. It is used in Greek literature to show that someone who isn’t recognized one day can be seen the next.
References
- King, M.L. (1967) Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Communications New York, NY:
- Harper & Row
- Kosek, J. K. (2012). “Religion and Nonviolence in American History.” Religion Compass, 6(8), 402–413. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-8171.2012.00365.x
- Stephens, J. (1997). The Odyssey vs. Ulysses. Retrieved June 21, 2020, from http://www.whoosh.org/issue17/stephen1.html
